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Friday, November 28, 2014

Twitter Buying Trends: Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Holiday shopping is increasingly being influenced by social media platforms like Twitter, this is particularly true of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As indicated in a 2013 poll, those who use Twitter spend more and use the portal as a strategy resource that informs their buying decisions.

According to a DB5 survey of 1,000 US adults 7 out of 10 of our users will rely on Twitter to enhance their Black Friday and Cyber Monday experiences. A total of 85 percent of Twitter users shop on Black Friday and 81 percent shop on Cyber Monday. Unsurprisingly, Twitter uses are bigger online shoppers than non-Twitter users. While 54 percent of all adults plan to shop on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday days, that number jumps to 68 percent among Twitter users.
Twitter users not only buy online, they are well informed and they do their research. Sixty percent of users say that Twitter plays an important role in their Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. One survey respondent shared, "Twitter is invaluable for planning my strategic attack: for [finding out] about deals, where friends were shopping and whether the lines were too long."

Twitter users craft a shopping strategy ahead of other shoppers. Eighty percent of Twitter users start to plan for Black Friday at least one week in advance this is eleven points higher than the percentage of preparation exhibited by average shoppers which is 69 percent. For Cyber Monday, 72 percent of Twitter shoppers plan at least a week in advance.

Fifty-six percent say Twitter is one of the first places they go to research products. These shoppers also expect to hear about products and special promotions from brands. In fact, 78 percent say if they saw a Tweet for a sale at a nearby retailer they’d visit the store on Black Friday.

Eighty two percent of Twitter users cite cost saving as the reason they use the platform for shopping on Black Friday. Even more importantly Twitter is perceived as an enjoyable social experience. Fifty-nine percent of Twitter users say they shop Black Friday to "have fun" and 39 percent say it’s a tradition with loved ones.

Seventy percent of Twitter users say they wait in Black Friday lines at stores compared to 61 percent of all Black Friday shoppers.

Eighty percent of Twitter users indicated that they want to save money on Cyber Monday but they also value the ease and convenience of shopping online. The survey revealed that 57 percent of Twitter users appreciate avoiding the crowds and not leaving the comfort of the house or office on Cyber Monday.

Thirty eight percent of Twitter users get online at midnight on #CyberMonday while thirtyfour percent shop between midnight and 6 am to access popular products and special promotions.

Smartphones are a critical tool in Twitter users shopping arsenal. Eighty-seven percent of of Twitter users say they will rely on their smartphones during Black Friday. That is 21 points more than non-twitter users (66 percent). The phones of Twitter users continue to be used as a mobile strategy device. Twenty-two percent of Twitter users continue to check their phones while in line on Black Friday and fifty-four percent stay in touch with family and friends who are shopping, fifty-seven percent. Fifty-seven percent use their phones to find out about different sales and forty-nine percent check prices. Forty one percent use their phones to make purchases while only 22 percent of non-twitter users do so.

Twitter users spend more than other shoppers on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Only a third of Twitter users strictly stick to their shopping lists on both days. Twitter users spend 19 percent more than the average Black Friday shopper and 14 percent more than Cyber Monday shoppers. For people who shop on both days the The average spend for Twitter users was $700 more than non-Twitter users.

The top items purchased online are electronics and clothes. They visit an average of 4.6 stores on Black Friday. They also share what they score on Twitter: 18 percent tweet photos of purchases and 23 percent tweet about great deals they got.

For real time insight into the marketing and purchasing mayhem on Twitter follow the hashtags #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday